1RM - One Rep Max, you can undertake one lift only before failure.
Abdomen - Lower region of the body, incorporating the stomach (or Abs) and surrounding upper area.
Atrophy - The steady decrease of size and power of muscle tissue over a period of time. After which the tissue will return to fat unless stimulated by exercise.
Bar - The long rod, usually made of metal, which weights are loaded on.
Barbell - The bar rod when loaded with weights.
Burn (The) - Also known as 'Good pain'. Can happen when you hold a stretch for a long time and when you push your muscles to their limit. There is a difference between this pain and the pain of over using a muscle.
Collar - The screw down 'nut' which holds weights onto a bar or dumb-bell rod.
Contractive - An exercise which stimulates the muscle in its contracted position (such as the dumbbell curl)
Deadlift - To lift a very heavily weighted barbell above your head with possible 1RM.
Drop Sets - The method of picking up lighter weights to continue your repetitions once failure has been reached at a heavier weight.
Dumbbell rod - The short rod which you load weights onto to make a dumb-bell.
Dumbbell - The dumb-bell rod loaded with weights. Isometric - To hold the muscle in position and to cause muscular contraction without movement.
Failure - The point at which you can no longer lift a weight or complete one repetition successfully. Sometimes called the Point of Resistance.
Hypertrophy - Really, the opposite to Atrophy. The steady increase of size and strength of a muscle by breaking down and repairing muscle tissue - usually by exercise.
Mechanical - To use the muscle and connecting muscles together in a constant motion when exercising.
Machines - The name of the general apparatus used when training in a large gym.
Motor unit - Part of a muscle which activates it and stimulates it to perform.
Repetitions - The continual performance of an exercise, each (or Reps) repetition signifies one cycle of this exercise.
Set - The number of repetitions required to complete the exercise.
Spotter - A person who watches to make sure you perform your exercises correctly and helps if you get into difficulty. Useful if you are lifting a weight which may injure you if you can't finish the rep or if you need to perform forced reps.
Stretch (1) - To extend a muscle or bodypart to its limit
Stretch (2) - A type of exercise which stimulates the muscle when in its fully stretched position (such as the lateral raise)
Traps - Same as Trapezius. This is the muscle which covers the shoulders and part of the upper back. It helps move the head and the arms.
Trunk - Your whole body from the hips to the neck.
Weights - Sometimes called 'Discs', these are the round weights which are usually made of metal and which fit on the end of a bar-bell, dumb-bell or other exercise apparatus.
Workout - A series of exercises performed in sequence, which combine to make a fitness program, sometimes called a 'Routine' or 'Exercises'.
